The Human Cytomegalovirus pUL145 Isoforms Act as Viral DDB1-Cullin-Associated Factors to Instruct Host Protein Degradation to Impede Innate Immunity (Cell Reports)

Le-Trilling et al. utilize intra-strain differences occurring in the HCMV strain AD169 to probe into viral IFN antagonism. They uncover UL145 as a key factor for HCMV-encoded STAT2 degradation. The pUL145 proteins constitute druggable viral DCAFs (vDCAFs) that mimic the DDB1-recognizing interface of cellular DCAFs to impede antiviral immunity.